Sara Crewe

When Captain Crewe goes off to India to mine for diamonds, he leaves his daughter, Sara, at Miss Minchin's School for Young Ladies, encouraging her to read less and make a friend or two. But Sara, who is bookish and adrift in dreams she fashions from her reading, does not fit in well with the other girls who find her odd and are jealous of her special privileges. Then the terrible news comes that Captain Crewe has died—leaving Sara an orphan and penniless. Minchin, feeling betrayed, cruelly relegates Sara to the ordinary life of a servant, throwing her from a world of silks into one of coal scuttles and soot. Now living in the school's attic, Sara befriends her neighbor, the scullery maid Becky, who becomes Sara's guide through her new world. Alone in her room and scorned by her former classmates, Sara pretends she is Marie Antoinette and retreats even further into her imagination. Deeply concerned that Sara is losing her grip on reality, Becky encourages her friend to study the beauty of the real world. As the two of them face the stark world of London's poor, Sara discovers the meaning of friendship and her own power to transform her life and the lives of others. This adaptation is a splendid musical for the whole family, one that will delight children and adults alike with memorable tunes, unforgettable characters and a compelling story.